Io Ipse Idem

After losing the rights to his name, Romeo Gigli has found new backers in IP SpA and returned to the runway for the first time in several seasons with a line named Io Ipse Idem. "Going around the world looking at women, I see that they need new shapes. What I see more or less looks the same," the designer said, adding that a guiding principle of the new collection is that it looks structured but isn't.

What appeared to be a straightforward men's jacket from the front was softly cocooned in the back. Few of Gigli's jackets, in fact, hit the catwalk without some sort of special treatment: A blazer came with a starburst cutout between the shoulder blades; a silk velvet evening coat fastened two different ways. There were some intriguing notions, of the sort that explain the goodwill that the designer has maintained in his absence: The skirts, in both pencil and flaring silhouettes, came ruched and elasticized, so they not only travel well, but also accommodate all sizes. But if Gigli really wants to appear modern, he should advise the models to skip the runway theatrics next time.